A blockbuster clash involving World Cup Qatar 2022 heroes at the King Fahd International Stadium in front of 60,000 screaming fans on Jan 19, 2023 clearly highlighted the envious football craze that is prevalent in the Middle East
When Riyadh All Star XI captain Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, walked over to Neymar Jr. for a quick handshake and a hug, it was the start of a PSG sequence that was hard to ignore and even harder to miss for the football fans. Soon afterwards after his greeting with Neymar, Ronaldo – looking supremely fit – turned to PSG striker and French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe who smiled at his childhood hero and the two quickly embraced warmly. A fraction of a second later, Argentina’s World Cup winning hero Lionel Messi also hugged Ronaldo as two the lights of global football acknowledged each other’s presence before the kick-off of the friendly clash that saw a mad rush for tickets prior to the game.
In one fan moment that was hard to match from every football fan present at the King Fahd International Stadium, Saudi real estate Mushref Al-Ghamdi won a ticket bid worth a staggering $2.6 million to watch Messi and his PSG giants play the friendly against a Saudi select XI including Ronaldo and his teammates from Al Nasr club and their arch-rivals Al Hilal. To whip up a fan frenzy prior to the match, Turki Al-Sheikh, the chief head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced a charity auction for a ticket that would allow the highest bidder the chance of taking photos with players and access to the locker rooms. After Al-Ghamdi clinched the ticket auction, the GEA chief – who is also an advisor to the Royal Court – tweeted: “Congratulations, you deserve it, and may God reward you with good.” The entire amount was handed over to a charity, officials said.
On the pitch, there was less camaraderie among the players but plenty of adrenaline boosting moves and goals that thrilled the packed King Fahd International Stadium. A nine-goal thriller was clinched by Messi and his PSG team-mates, thanks to a strike by Hugo Ekitike in the 78th minute. Messi and Marquinhos were quick to find the net for the visitors but a Ronaldo brace delighted the packed house at Saudi’s biggest football venue. Sporting black and gold kits, PSG hit the ground running with their moves in the first half. In the third minute, Messi produced a deft finish for his side’s first goal. After a cross from Neymar, Messi sent the ball past goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais with slick ease. Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo converted a penalty to level the game. Despite Bernat being shown the red card, 10-man PSG scored through defender Marquinhos. The lead didn’t last long as Ronaldo leveled again on the verge of halftime. After the break, Ramos found the net in the first 10 minutes, but South Korea’s Jang Hyun-soo made it 3-3.
A clumsy handball by Ali Al-Bulaihi gave the Ligue 1 giants a penalty, which was expertly converted by Mbappe. It was Mbappe’s last move as the French star was taken off shortly after along with teammates Messi and Neymar. Ronaldo also was taken off a little later. Ekitike then extended PSG’s lead to 5-3 with a slick move. Anderson Talisca reduced the deficit for the combined XI in added time.
Soon after the final whistle, the 60,000 fans present at the venue and the ones watching on TV around Saudi Arabia and the region were treated to a spectacular fireworks show. Turki Al-Sheikh, who accompanied Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachan at the opening ceremony, said in an interview that Saudi Arabia is just getting started to bring more envious sport action and entertainment to the country of 32 million. “This was a big match but this is nothing (compared to) what will happen with Vision 2030,” Turki Al Sheikh said in an interview with AFP. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has hosted boxing fights involving heavyweight star Anthony Joashua twice, F1 race in Jeddah, and the Dakar Rally the last three years. Saudi Arabia has also bankrolled a new golf series – LIV Golf – that has attracted major winners Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson. The LIV Golf series is fronted by former World No. 1 Greg Norman.
In the coming years, Saudi Arabia will be aiming to host the AFC Asian Cup but are assured to stage the 2034 Asian Games in Riyadh. The Asian Winter Games in 2029 will also be held in Saudi Arabia on ‘artificial’ snow. “My leader will surprise the Saudis with much more,” Al-Sheikh told AFP. “We are ready to fulfil his demands at any time. But what’s coming is much greater.” Saudi Arabia, in recent times, have openly declared their desire to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 with Egypt and Greece. During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Saudi sport minister said hosting the Olympics also remained a goal.
With Ronaldo signing up for Al Nasr for a $200 million-a-year deal, Saudi Arabia is clearly getting ready to bring about further enhancements in its vibrant football culture. Saudi Arabia has featured six FIFA World Cup tournaments, having played in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022. Their best performance was in 1994 when they reached the round of 16. The clash at King Fahd International Stadium on Jan 19, 2023, is likely to be a turning point in all its sporting endeavours.
